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Plot
The announcement The center of the great city of Carnivor teemed with life. At the market-place people swarmed between the stands, purchasing, selling or just looking. The cool winter air was filled with sound, people talking, shouting, arguing. There were slaves carrying baskets for their ladies and lords, beastmen clad in long capes, fur or armour, haughty elves, sharp-eyed humans, bearded dwarfs, even trolls. Suddenly a sounding horn cuts through the din. In the silence shortly following, a herald steps forward on the gallows platform. "The Lord Emperor of the World of Mir has an announcement. The Brotherhood of Sorcerers are taking in new apprentices tomorrow, between six in the morning until six in the evening, in the northern end of Castle Cairn. All men and elves can join! If you have a criminal record, it will be erased. You can become wealthy beyond your dreams. For those lucky enough to get in, a world of power will be opened! " :written by Inkalill The Comission Time: Half past five in the morning Place: The office of recruits, northern end of Castle Cairn "It is freezing cold outside" said the sorcerer of the house of Wolf. "I really hope this campaign will be worth it." The sorcerer of the house of Serpent smiled: "You never know before the day is over." The one of the house of Fox added: "At last our interrogation rooms are warm and cozy. As soon as the recruits makes their choices, we can drink some wine and enjoy ourselves there." "Last time nearly everyone chose to come to us." said the sorcerer of the house of Wolf with a self-satisfied smile. "One third went to you, Ray, to the house of the Serpent. How many did you get, Adar? Two?" The sorceror of the house of the Fox smiled crookedly. "It is the quality that counts, Mack. Those two were the only elves that applied." The brief pause was broken by the guard announcing the first applicant. :written by Inkalill A Candidate There came a knock at the door. It was opened by a black-clad slave by the door, a huge beastman with a bear face. Outside stood a stocky man with a low brow and a scared look in his face. "I´ve come to search refu...I mean,intrance to the Brotherhood of Sorcerers!" He mumbled. The Bear bowed him in, with an ironic expression. Mack of the Wolf smiled at the newcomer. "Please come in!" Ray of the Serpent glanced quickly through the "wanted criminals" papers, and nodded slightly when he found a match to the stocky man. Adar of the Fox pointed at a comfortable chair in front of them. "Please sit down and tell us a few words about yourself!" The stocky man sat down on the edge, his eyes darting nervously from the one to the others. "My name is Armantage, I´m a trained warrior and are 54 years old." "Very well!" said Ray of the Serpent. "I can fill you in. You are wanted for robbery, striking everyone you disagree with to pulps, and murder. Just now you are being hunted for killing two men in an inn downtown under a brawl. I´m afraid your records of a short temper is much to long for us. We want sorcerors that can behave themselves." He nodded at the bear man, who grabbed the stocky man and whisked him away like if he was a raging child. When his cries had faded in the distance, Adar of the Fox sighed. "I really hope we get something better than desperate outlaws." :written by Inkalill Brox of Boggan Again a knock at the door. The slave opened. Outside stood a young, emaciated man. The bear bowed him in, but the entrant affrought by looking at him, stumbled over the doorsill and fell down in front of the three sorcerers. "Another clown" Adar of the Fox muttered derisively. Ray of the Serpent grinned. "A simple bow would be sufficient. Please arise and sit down there. Tell us about yourself." "Yeh, satunly!" the stranger answered with an outlandish accent. He stood up and took place on his seat. "Am Brox af Boggan anda coming from Azidaka, fah fram here. I want to getta fine sacarar!" While Mack of the Wolf desperately seeked for some proof of identity of this guy in his papers Ray focused him with a hypnotic glance: "Azidaka is pretty far from here …" Brox nodded: "Woll, pretty fah! An pretty dang'rous to travel to Caniva! A dyed tree - nah, foh dimes on ma way!" Ray scrowled at Brox, but Adar, who did not find a match in his papers rose to speak: "How did you get into the city?" "Oh, dat!" replied Brox. "Dunna, casa was sleebing." "Would you please explain this ... kind of nap?" Mack probed. "Woll, awas so tied when a finally appruched da tawn! But dann I fawned a hay cart neara fahm an thawd: Betta hide in de hay while sleebin dan beeng killed by all des vamyn da attside!" Theatrically the young man pointed onto invisible icky bugs beyond the mighty walls of Cairn. "And then?" Ray asked. "Woll, ahwohk on a makat please... when da fahma stinged me wit his hay fuck. Ho! Ded wos pretty pennful! A renn lika desat chuck acrass da makat please. Dee didn't fawned me!" Adar leaned forward and said: "You lie! We have hounds at the gates that root out everyone who tries to sneak into the city!" "Oh, bud not me!" Brox pulled a small pouch out of his bag. "Musking pawder! Didn' like to been eaten by bisties an vamyn. Sowa alwas strew some of des an me befa sleepin." "Give me this pouch!" Mack commanded. "Yeh, satunly!" Brox answered meekly and handed it over. Mack sniffed. The powder appeared to be completely scentless. The Wolf man gave it over to Adar and asked him: "What do you think?" :written by Gelyon Brox gains some interest Adar shrugged. He had seen musking powder before, and it didn't particularly interest him. But this fellow Brox was starting to interest him. "You managed this long journey through the dangerous wilderness all by yourself?" the fox-wizard asked the man. "You avoided the wild beasts with this musking powder, and you managed to slip past the guards into our walled city?" Brox nodded. "Yassuh! It t'were easy!" "You're tricky," Adar replied. His long fox muzzle curled into a smile. "I like people who are tricky." The other wizards frowned. "But it will take more than clever tricks to make you into a wizard," Mack grumbled. "Tell us about your credentials, Brox of Boggan." :written by' Coop'' Informations about Brox' past Brox was appalled: "Cradentials? Are cradentials raqui'ad?" Adar replied: "Someone gave you this musking powder. It would be quite useful for you if the same person gave you some kind of attestation about your faculties." "But Agron codd not do des! He woz killed, an des why a had to flea frawm Boggan and frawm antyre Azidaka!" "So this 'Agron' gave you this powder?" "Yea, hee woz my chemist and a woz his trenee... A neva larned to bee a wizzad, just to bee a chemist! Wee haven't any wizzads in ar pahd of Azidaka ... " "Did you kill Agron?" Ray suddenly asked. "Nah!" Brox replied aghast. "Hee woz killed by des furies frawm da dessat. Dey distroyed da hole cohnty. Dey juss didn fawnd my hideawd. So a could ascape." "After thoroughly plundering your master's lab, right?" Mack asked. "A vonly toog dings whit me dad a could handle. Didn wan to poison mysolf..." Brox tried to smile whimsically. :written by Gelyon Brox' potions Adar's bushy tail swished from side to side, and his dark eyes glowed with sudden interest. "So you have a lot of magic potions and powders with you? I'd like to see them. Before coming to work for the prince, I was employed in a magic shop, and I know a great deal about magic potions." "We're not here for that!" Ray hissed angrily. "We're here to interview candidates for our houses. But it appears that this wretch isn't here to interview at all. He's here to try and find a sorcerer who can help him with a problem in his homeland." The fox-wizard stroked his furry chin and looked closely at the poorly-fed peasant. "Well, if that's what you want, Brox of Boggan, I'm afraid I can't help you. I enjoy my life too much to throw it away fighting battles for strangers." He smiled. "Might I suggest that you leave your troubles in Azidaka behind you, and start anew here? Maybe, just maybe, I might be able to get you a very good job working for the House of Fox ... especially if those potions and powders of yours turn out to be useful." "Kip Adar!" Mack growled, using the fox-wizard's full name. "I'm disappointed in you! You're trying to trick this fellow into giving you his potions!" Adar looked wounded. "My dear Mack, I was merely making this fellow a very attractive offer ---" But Mack cut him off with an angry scowl and a wave of his thick right hand. Turning back to the young peasant, he said, "Tell us more about these troubles in Azidaka. And since there's some confusion about your intentions here, tell us plainly. Are you interested in applying for training as a wizard in one of our houses, or not?" '':written by Coop'' More details about Brox' past Brox sought. So many questions! "Woll - A came hear to bucome a sacarar. Who am ay to foss the maydy Brotherhood to fawd any revenge feyds aganst de dessert furies? A neva would do des." The young man bent his head respectfully. Mack was not impressed by this gesture: "You did not report on these troubles in Azidaka anyway!" "A'll troy to dall yoa as woll as a can do: A lived in da nartheastan pawd of Azidaka, at da feed of da Nducall montan ridge. Ar side, da sothan side is pretty capious an green. Bud da nathan side is dry an all dessert! Das where da furies ar comin frawm. Ya call it da Valdorian Plain. Da furies call damnselves Syawnee, and da great King Noortshack of Azidaka almost blasted dem sexty yeahs ago. Wee didn hear anyding abawt dem an wee thouwd das dem where lost an ded. Dis was a deadly fallacy! Appawntly dey did now us match betta dan we new dem! It seems das dey new way woll das ar present king convated to da faith of da Dorian Deer and dafore antaganised his whaul pwiesthood. King an priests wa busy wit demsalfs and dee army woz paralyzed bacoz sum of dem fawllowed de King and da rest abserved da commands of da priests. Just in des mowmen de Syawnee attacked." Brox could hardly continue his report. Past patterns of horror darkened his mind. "Women ar der fayders, not men! Dey must have some magical pawtacshion skin calor or magical weepans: Dey ar almost invincible althaw dey ar almast nakid an daxtremely agile on da hoses. Dey assawldid and killed us awff - most awf as." :written by Gelyon Silvestre's offer Mack looked thoughtful. "Furies, you say? Interesting ... my lord might be interested. Rich lands, women warriors with magic ... maybe we´d find some new weapons to fight the Fay with. Brox of Boggan, I think you´d be a valuable man to employ. The house of the Wolf can offer you a good wage, 80 gold coins a year! You will get a standard magical staff you can shoot fireballs with and transform into any weapon you can visualize, and by which you can transform yourself into a raven. A communication mirror, a camouflage spell, and access to the chemical laboratory in the east wing of Charn ..." Ray snorted. "Hah!" He smiled to Brox. "All wizards gets those things. But Prince Silvestre of the house of the Serpent is an expert on poisons. All his men gets to know valuable secrets in addition to the common stuff! Plus, he pays better - 90 gold coins a year!" Mack sneered: "You forgot to tell that lord Silvestre have a nasty habit of trying out his skill on his own men if they are unlucky enough to offend him! And, he´s quite easily offended, too!" :written by Inkalill Kip Adar's offer "A hundred gold!" Adar exclaimed, stretching a furry paw toward Brox. "You won't get a better offer than THAT, Brox of Boggan! Come, shake on it, and welcome to the House of Fox!" '':written by Coop'' Brox' question Brox suddenly realized that he just became a pawn of the mighty houses of the Brotherhood by stumbling over the doorsill of this room. He looked around and faced his interviewers. What was going on here? Instead of shaking Adars paw he asked him: "Allaw mee a humble quastion fawst: Des yer offa mean das a get a traning as a sarcara too?" :written by Gelyon Best bid "Yes, yes," Adar replied impatiently. "I'll see to your training myself. You'll get a magic staff, too, just as my friend Mack said. But best of all, you'll be a member of the House of Fox --- the place for the most cunning sorcerers!" He flashed a foxy grin at the other two sorcerers in the room. Mack and Ray did not grin back at Adar. Moments earlier they had been teasing him over the fact that their houses had signed more recruits than his ... but now they realized that they had been outfoxed. They had spent their houses' money on green recruits who had little to offer, while Adar had held onto his money until a really interesting recruit had come along. This Brox of Boggan was valuable; he had first-hand information about battles in a distant realm, he had a sack full of powerful magic potions, and he had displayed his cleverness by surviving a long journey through a hostile wilderness by himself. Yes, all three sorcerers badly wanted Brox on their side --- but Adar had more money at his disposal than the other two. There was no way that Mack or Ray could outbid Kip Adar. And so all they could do was to fold their arms and scowl as this fine recruit (and his tempting sack of magic potions) went to the House of Fox. '':written by Coop'' Brox' decision Brox face brightened with a smile. "A'll be huno'd to sorv yer hawse!" he said and finally shook Adar's pawn. After this gesture Brox' smile became more whimsical and also expectant: "An what happens naw?" :written by Gelyon Brox becomes part of the Brotherhood The fox-wizard draped an arm around the peasant's shoulder and guided him toward a door that led further into the castle. "Why, now I'll show you to the training chamber. You'll be required to sign some papers ... a mere formality, of course. The clerk at the desk will give you those, and a pen. Then he'll assign you a room where you'll stay during your training, which starts tomorrow." "When do ah get mah staff?" asked Brox as he was led down a long hallway lit by smoldering torches fastened to the wall near the ceiling. "An' mah gowld peeses?" "When you finish your training," Adar replied. They reached the end of the hallway and entered a large room dominated by shelves filled with books and papers. In the center of the room was a desk, and a man wearing glasses was sitting behind this desk. "Here we are," said the fox. "Just sign everything this gentleman gives you. I'll be returning to the applicants' room. Who knows, maybe we'll sign someone else for the glorious House of Fox before you finish with your papers." He grinned. "The House of Fox, huh?" said the clerk behind the desk, looking over his glasses at Brox. "Are you sure you don't want to join the House of Wolf? Most of the new recruits have been ---" Adar cut him off quickly. "He's joining the House of Fox. There will be no further discussion." The fox turned back to Brox, and smiled. "I'll see you again after I'm finished interviewing all of the applicants. We'll meet in the Great Hall for a grand dinner. All of the princes will be there to say a few words of welcome to all of the new recruits." "Princes!" Brox exclaimed. "Yuh mane it? Ah'm gawnna ackshelly meet da princes?" "You certainly shall," Adar answered with a grin. Then his expression changed. "Oh, but one more thing. You'll be given all that you need for your training, and you're not allowed to bring in anything else. So I'll just take those potions now." For a moment Brox drew back, clutching the sack filled with magic potions that he'd carried all the way across the kingdom. But he could see that it was no use. Adar was his master now; if he refused to hand over the potions, he would be back on the street. There would be no grand dinner with the princes. With a sigh of defeat, he handed the sack to Adar. "Excellent!" beamed the fox-wizard. "I will see you at dinner, Brox of Boggan." He turned to leave, then stopped and bowed deeply. "Welcome to the House of Fox!" Brox bowed back, a little clumsily, but he didn't return Adar's smile. He'd lost all of his valuable potions, and all he'd gotten in return so far were smiles and promises. Had he made the right decision? But then he remembered that he would soon be dining with royalty for the first time in his life, and his nose caught the scent of fresh pork roasting nearby. And his empty belly assured him that coming to the castle had indeed been the right decision. '':written by Coop'' The contract Brox could not even read the script of Carnivor. It was so different from the Royal Azidaka lettering! So he tried to be clever and asked the clerk: "Am a carrack das des is mah paymawnt cantact?" "Your - what?" replied the clerk. "Sorry, I cannot understand you." "Is des mah paymawnt cantwock?" Brox spoke slowly and distinctly. "What? No, no clock, but just a kinda caveat emptor..." Brox was puzzled: "Whotza caveat amtar?" "A caveat emptor," the clerk responded "is a ... hey, I don't give a damn about explaining this to you! Either you sign these documents, or I'm going to throw you into the deepest dungeon of this castle for betraying a honorable member of the House of Fox!" The clerk's voice became a booming sound, and Brox imidatedly replied: "Awkay, awkay! A hawp a dunn sall ma sawl by sabscwybing dees dacuments..." The clerk grinned. But his smirk froze when he saw Brox' signature. "What's that?" he asked angrily. "Mah signatchure," Brox replied. "This scribbling aren't valid letters of our font!" the clerk stated whil pointing onto Brox' writ. "But mine!" the young chemist returned. "Dee awnly wons a know!" :written by Gelyon Category:RPG